Bridle-bit for horses



(No Model.) r G. W. WARD.

4 V BRIDLE BIT FOR HORSES. No. 264,496. Patented Sept. 19, 1882 UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

GEORGE W. WARD, OF ST. JOEINSBURY, VERMONT.

.BRlDLE-BIT FOR HORSES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 264,496, dated September 19, 1882.

' Application filed January 28, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. WARD, of St. Johnsbury,in the county of Caledonia and State of Vermont, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Driving-Bits for Horses; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention has for its object to provide a bit over which a horse will be effectually prevented from putting his tongue, and which at the same time will rest easily and comfortably within the mouth and not have a tendency to keep the mouth open.

To this end it consists of a bit constructed of a tongue-plate and two links or bars loosely 2o jointed or articulated thereto at one edge, so

that the joints will be within the animals mouth when the bit is applied, and having cheek-pieces for the attachment of the reins, substantially as I will now proceed to describe.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of my invention, and Fig.2 is'a side elevation of the same.

Similar letters of reference in the several figures denote the same parts.

A represents the ton gue-platereferred to; B

' B, the bars or links jointed to the forward edge of said plate, as shown at b I); and O O are the cheek-pieces, to which the other ends ofsaid bars orlinks are connected. The tongueplate, when in use, stands at an angle and slopes backward and upward in the mouth, and

effectually prevents the animal from putting his tongue over, While the bars B B, being connected to said plate by the flexible joints, enable the bit to conform to the mouth and rest easily and comfortably therein. The connection between the outer ends of the bars and the cheek-pieces may be rigid or jointed but I prefer the latter construction, as shown in the drawings, as the same tends to render the bit more flexible and conformable.

My bit can be used as a driving-bit for all ordinary horses; but it is especially adapted for driving horses which are in the habit of putting the tongue over the bit, as the tongueplate with such prevents the tongue from being put over and soon corrects the habit, and this without causing the mouth of the horse to be forced open, as by some of the bits heretofore used. The bit is preferably made of castiron, with whole joints between the plates and the bars or links.

I claim as my inventionl. The driving-bit for horses, consisting of the ton gue-plate, and the bars or links connected at one end to the forward end of said plate by flexible joints, and also connected at the opposite end to the cheek-pieces, substantially as described.

2. The herein-described bit for horses, consistin g of the ton gue-plate,and the bars orlinks connected to the forward end of said.plate by flexible joints, and also flexibly jointed at the opposite end to the cheek-pieces.

GEORGE W. WARD.

Witnesses:

W. S. STREETER, L. A. SKIEF. 

